Ballard Power Systems has developed a next-generation high-performance fuel cell propulsion system to power unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. Ballard has also received a follow-on contract from Insitu, a Boeing subsidiary, for extended durability testing of the next-generation 1.3 kW fuel cell propulsion system to power test flights of its ScanEagle UAV platform.

Ballard and Insitu have partnered over the past two years to integrate Ballard’s prior generation fuel cell propulsion system—a complete hydrogen power system for small unmanned fixed wing and Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) platforms—into the ScanEagle platform. (Earlier post.) Successful flight testing was announced in mid-2017.

Insitu ScanEagle.

The next generation fuel cell propulsion system delivers a number of important advances: increased power density, resulting from a new membrane electrode assembly (MEA) design; reduced cost, resulting from a combination of new MEA and one-step fuel cell stack sealing process; and extended lifetime. The increase in rated power, without any appreciable increase in size or weight, is a particularly significant development for UAV applications.

The Ballard and Insitu teams have collaborated closely over the past several years to integrate our proven fuel cell technology into the industry-leading ScanEagle platform. This new fuel cell has the potential to deliver a range of benefits compared to the use of an internal combustion engine, or ICE, to power the ScanEagle. These benefits are likely to include an increase in reliability and available electrical power along with a simultaneous reduction in audible noise, thereby enabling lower altitude missions.

—Phil Robinson, Vice President of Unmanned Systems at Protonex, a Ballard subsidiary

Fuel cell propulsion systems offer a number of advantages over ICE-powered drones; in addition, fuel cells offer a 3x increase in mission time compared to battery-powered drones.

Insitu’s ScanEagle is a versatile platform with multiple payload capabilities, including high-definition imaging, at a fraction of the cost of larger UAV systems. Insitu’s platforms have logged more than one million flight hours in military and civilian applications, making ScanEagle the most proven UAV in its class. The ScanEagle is operated in conjunction with Insitu’s Mark4 Launcher—a low-maintenance, runway-independent platform—along with its SkyHook recovery system.

ScanEagle is 1.55 meters (5.1 feet) in length, has a wingspan of 3.11 meters (10.2 feet) and maximum takeoff weight of 22 kilograms (48.5 lbs). The UAV can fly at a maximum speed of 41.2 meters per second (80 knots), reach a ceiling of 5,944 meters (19,500 feet).

In addition to military use, the commercial market for drones is expected to growth significantly over the next few years, from 0.25 million working drones in 2017 to more than 2.5 million working drones by 2021. Applications are anticipated in such areas as agriculture, construction, environmental management, urban & rural surveying, mining, emergency response and law enforcement.

Comments

Another application of higher power/weight ration FCs. At 3X times improvement over best current batteries, FCs could play an important role in near future long range drones and e-planes and communication relays.

Actually it said 3x over batteries. It didn’t say best currently available batteries. For military applications money is no object so this is a good match. When your local hobby shop has these available we can see how close they are to being main stream.